Argyle in style...

Going with an outfit I wore a few times past season... I love the cute girl design on this t-shirt and the silver embelishments add a nice touch. The jacket is knit with a zipper. I am including a photo of the hoodie part as it is lined with tulle. Love all the little details of this jacket and it is very comfy. I also like the touch of green in it. Wanted to compliment the girl's bow with my black satin bow headband. I wear this ring quite often. It is a chanel look alike. My mom got one in white. I kept accumulating these silver bracelets over the years as gifts from my husband and best friends. First I was thinking they are all very similar when am I going to wear each one of them? Then I figured out I can wear them all together for a very cool effect. So, I am kind of going against my own advice today where the majority of the outfit is from Forever 21. But, at least paired with expansive jewelry and shoes. :)

Skinny Jeans - Forever 21 - $20
T-shirt  - Forever 21 - $12
Knit Hoodie - Forever 21 - $25
Satin bow headband - H&M - $6
Rose ring - Closet - $5
Various Silver Charm bracelets - Tiffany's & Red Envelope - $90-$150 each
Suede and leather ballerina flats - Cole Haan - $200 (over 8 years old)

Today's Activities: Taking son to dance class, then meeting hubby and daughter at the park for some playtime before naps and lunch. Left the kids with hubby to volunteer for the 'Princess Project' dress giveaway event all afternoon. Then met the family and my dad for dinner at soup plantation. After kids go to met, watched 'new moon' with best friend at home.

TIP OF THE DAY:
Want to start a new series on how to come up with outfit ideas...
Today's tip is on coming up with outfit ideas when actually buying a new piece of clothing. As we discussed yesterday it is a good practice to think what it will go with in your closet before you buy anyway. So you might have already thought of a few possiblilites. When you get home after the kids go to bed, try the new item on with some pieces from your closet. If you don't think you will remember these later, write them down. For example: flare jeans, gap blue blouse, navy vest, brown belt, brown boots (etc...) That way when you are in a rush you can quickly reference your list and pull out an already figured out outfit.

Purple in bloom

Very excited to be wearing this dress for the first time. I came up with 4-5 different ways I can wear it so have been dying to start trying them. It is made out of this nylon like material and when not belted the length comes all the way down to my knees. The material was great with kids today. You can clean any stain with a baby wipe and any liquid dries off instantly. Of course I was a little cold in the morning once again so wore my purple sweater over it (which looks navy in the photo for some reason). The belt is from my college days, it is just one of those classic pant belts but love the deep brown color and the brass buckle. I didn't touch the belt when taking my sweater on and off so it was pretty easy. My jean sandals again proved how comfy they are especially on a sandy park surface. I even found out while holding my daughter in one hand and a diaper bag in the other, I can put them on with no hand when the zippers are open. I just zip them up later. They are actually more practical than flip flops because they do not come off your feet easily. And this style looks so dressy. I was also lazy today and left my hair natural which is curly. To somewhat control the big hair wore my flowery headband. Since the sandals have enough embelishment on them and the whole outfit is a bit too dressy looking already I went with no additional accessories.

Dress - Jean Paul Gaultier for Target - Target - $39

Sweater - Gap - $14 on sale
Leather belt - Limited - super old, don't remember the price
Jean sandals - Steve Madden - $89
Cream silk headband - Anthropologie - $19

Today's Activities:
Mission bay park with the kids in the AM. Running errands and grocery shopping in the afternoon. Had dad over for dinner and playtime with the kids in the PM.
Tip of the Day: Last tip of the Shopping series...
Yesterday talked about wearibility (is that a word?) in terms of material and your lifestyle (me: busy mom with kids)... Today lets talk about wearibility in terms of how often will you really wear this item? Can you come up with a few different combinations of outfits you can pair the item with from your own closet or do you need to now buy things that go with it to make an outfit? For example if you are shopping for a special occasion dress, instead of buying something you will probably only wear once or twice, why not look for a dress you can turn more casual with sweaters or utlity jackets and flats etc... I absolutely love finding items that will go with things I already own and I can create many outfits from it. I like to wear a different outfit everyday and don't like repeating outfits for a while. So, it is important for me that each piece I buy creates more than just one outfit. If you are on a budget this is important. It is also important to not buy items that require you to buy more new items to go with it. Keeping in mind today's style is not matchy anymore. So you can wear funky colored shoes under an outfit that does not have that color in it at all to add interest. Actually it is totally stylish to go bold with either your shoe, belt, scarf or purse in a color that is going to contrast and pop from your outfit colors. It is also stylish to mix multiple patterns together (i.e. flowery designs with stripes). So don't have to look for exactly matching stuff.

Orange Crush

Going with cameo and orange today. The outfit is actually a little too matchy matchy. I would like to add a little bit more edge/boldness but can't do it everyday so this will have to do today. At least the orange over cameo does add a pop of color. The necklace is silver and orange from a farmer's market in Turkey (where I am from). The hat was bought two summers ago from a store in PB. I wore a tomatoe red 3/4 sleeve cowl neck sweatshirt over this outfit as it was chilly in the morning.

Orange tee - Closet - $10
Cameo Pants - Victoria's Secret - $39
Cameo flats - Rocket Dog - TJ Maxx - $30
Necklace from Turkey - $5
Hat (can't remember where or how much but it was cheap)
Sweatshirt (not shown) Everlast from Victoria's Secret - $40

Today's Activities: Outdoor Toddler class in the am, delivering dinner to a new mom and taking kids to music class in the pm.

TIP OF THE DAY: Shopping tips continued...
What to look for when choosing and trying on items:

Style is obviously a personal matter. You might never do skirts or shorts under a certain lengthe or sleeveless tops etc... So, continue to stay true to yourself.
Just like most people, I am always drawn towards dressier clothes and shoes. But, after purchasing items that I only get to wear once or twice a month I realized I need to shop for my current lifestyle. So go for clothes and shoes you can wear everyday with kids most of the time. Look for materials that will not wrinkle easily or need dry cleanning. Also patters and designs are great at hiding those stains we tend to accumulate with kids throughout the day. Any shirt with too many buttons or shoes with too many buckles become a hassle. When you try on a clothing my test is to bend forward and see if the tops stays put without expsosing to much cleavage. I then raise my arms to apply the same test to my midsection. With pants, I bend my knees down to see if the fabric gives in and allows me to move with ease. I also look for pieces I can layer since I am cold in the  mornings and the afternoons but get warm mid day.
For shoes I am now a big fan of those sandals with zippers in the back where all the buckles are decorative only. They are so easy to put on and off. Ballerina flats and dressy sneakers work great as well. When buying boots I know if I buy flats or lower heeled ones I will wear them so much more. I absolutely love heels. Love the way they look and make me feel, so I still go for them but may be 1 pair a season. And don't think you always have to wear pants and short when with kids. Dresses with knee lenght skirts, or a-line or full skirts that are mid tigh length work fine. I also love skorts, they look like mini skirts but have the comfort of shoes. So, don't be afraid to try those on as well. If you like to keep your style always casual like I said before you can always make it a bit more chic by adding cool belts, scarfs or necklaces. They are easy pieces and can be found cheap and instantly upgrade a simple shorts and t-shirt or jean and a sweater outfit. When choosing these items go for bold colors to make the effect more dramatic. Like yellow for an black ensemble, red for a grey one etc...